Electric outlet-fitting.



G. B. THOMAS.

ELECTRIC OUTLET FITTING. APPLICATION TIL-ED FEB.5, 1913.

1 100,505. I Patented June 16, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES: IN VE N TOR georye Thomas W;

zw a/m aMM/M I 14 TTURIVEY G. B. THOMAS.

ELECTRIC OUTLET FITTING. APPLICATION FILED PEB,5, 1913.

Patented June 16, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IN V 'IVTUR 6207'78'5. homa;

K f r-ram MW A1. Armin/5V5 GEOBGEYB. THOMAS, or BnrneEroR T, CONNECTICUT, AssIGNon To TH BRYANT ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC oUTnET-r'I TmC.

. To whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. THOMAS, a citizen of the United 'States of America, and residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a" certain .new and Improved Electric Outlet-Fitting, of which the following is a specification. Y

My invention relates to electric outlet fittings and the particular object of my invention is to provide a combination fitting in which a switch and pilot light are provided to respectively control and indicate the condition of the branch circuit which is topped from the fitting.

The fitting is particularly useful in kitchen or dining room installationsin which current is to be tapped from a fitting to an electric iron, for instance, or to an. electric toaster, heating pad or the like. In such in stallations it is extremely desirable that an indicatorof a nature to attract attention,

such as a ruby bulls-eye light, should be arranged in the branchcircuit so that the per son using the appliance may be reminded to switch off the current after use and before the heating appliance has become dangerously overheated. Of course the, 'invention is not limited to this particular type of in stallation or use.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through afitting of the type above mentioned; Fig. 2 is aplan thereof, with-face plate removed; Fig. 3 is an inverted plan; and Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are respectively similar views of a modified form of the fitting.

In theform shown in'Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the present fitting comprises an insulatin base 10 divided by partitions 11 and 12 into three chambers 13, 14 and 15. ,A face plate 16 common to the three chambersis arrahged upon'the base by means of securing screws which pass through-the plate and engage the metal-ears 17, the latter serving also as i the means by which the base may be mounted in a three gang metallicoutlet box of common construction diagrammatically represented in Fig. 1, at 18. In the three chambers 13, 14 and 15, I arrange respectively a rotary switch 19', terminals for a bulls-eye with an indicating dial 22 visible through an aperture 23 punchedin theface plate. The terminals in chamber 14 to receive the base 24 of the bulls-eye lamp 20 may be of any suitable 'type, but I prefer clips 25 and center contact spring 26 of the character shown in the copending application of Rob- Specification of'Letters Patent." Patented J- ine 16, 1914 Application filed February 5, 1913. Serial No. 746,345. i

ert Abbott, Serial Number 731,169. A transv lucent bulls-eye 27 is mounted in the face plate above the lamp. Similarly the plug terminals may be of any desired character, those, here shown at 2828 being of the character commonly employed for a plug of the Chapman type. Doors 28 are pivot- .ed in the face plate to admit the plug and close around the neck of the plug after'the latter is inserted.

The main wires are electrically connected to the fitting at the integral binding screw and switch terminals 29, 30. The cooperating switch terminals 31 and 32 are electrically connected byscrews 33, 34 with straps 35, 36 let into recesses formed in the lower face of the base and extending lengthwise of the latter beneath the bulls-eye and plugging chambers 14 and 15. Current is tapped from these straps to the lamp ter- .minals'by screws 37, 38, 2. lug 39 being formed on the strap 36 and extending'to a" point beneath the lamp contact 25. Ventilation holes 40 are provided in the base of the lamp. The straps 35, 36 end beneath the .85 'the'lamp chamber to prevent overheating by I plug terminals to which-they are electrically connected by the screws 41, 42. It is thus obvious that when the switch is on the current is led by these strapst35, 36- to the lamp terminals and to .the plug terminals in A parallel. Consequently when the switch is (G on 37 the plugged branch, there will be constant illumination of the bulls-eye by the lamp and the current is flowing through and a signal will thus be constantly given to the operator to turn the main, switch when through using the plug branch.

The same result is attained in thel'second scribed. Thus here instead of a rotary switch I employ .a push button switch 43 of the type exemplary embodiment of my invention' illustrated in Figsr4 to 6 inclusive. The

in which the switch mechanism is removable and the push buttons pass through apertures in the face plate, one of said apertures 44 being shown. Upon the insertion of the switch, the switch terminal plates 45, 46,

symmetrically arranged at opposite ends of of the plug 53 is normally closed by the shutter 54. The straps 55, 56 let into the lower face of the base correspond to those previously described, from which they differ only inso far as is necessary to accommodate them to the differently located terminals on the switch and plug receptacle.

I am well aware that I am not the first to employ a pilot light in a switch circuit, for instance as shown in Richmond 850,100. Attachment plugoutlets in switch controlled circuits are also common, as shown in Rohrer It has long been customary to mount fuse plugs on the same base and in series with a switch as shown for instance in Gibbons 967,632. Multiple plug outlets have been arranged in parallel on an attachment plug base, as in Hubbell 776,326. I do not claim to be the inventor of any such arrangements-none of which accomplish the end at which I aim. So far as I am aware however, I am the first to invent an outlet box fitting having the structure and characteristics shown in the accompanying drawing and specified in the following claims.

Other modifications and arrangements of the parts will readily suggest themselves and I; do not limit myself to the precise details shown.

I claim as my invention 1. An electric outlet fitting comprising a one-piece base of substantially uniform depth throughout,

avertical webs integral therewith dividing said base into three electrically insulated chambers, switch, lamp and plug outlet terminal elements mounted respectively in said chambers, wire terminals on said base and connections therefrom to the line terminals of the switch straps let into the lower face of the base and extending longitudinally of the base beneath said chambers, electrical connections from the switch load terminals to said strap, and means for connecting said lamp and plug outlet terminals to said straps in parallel in the switch controlled circuit, substantially as described.

2. An electric outlet fitting comprising a one piece base switch, lamp and plug terminals arranged thereon, wire terminals'electrically connected with the line terminals of the switch, and means connecting the load terminals thereof in parallel with the lamp and plug terminals, in combination with a cover plate overlying said fitting and having apertures to permit the passage therethrough of the switch actuating device'and a plug having three insulatedf the load terminals of the switch in parallel with the lamp and plug terminals and a cover plate common to said chamber and having a bulls-eye overlying the lamp chamber and apertures overlying plug chambers, for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. GEORGE B. THOMAS. Witnesses:

G. W. Goonmncn, H. M. WIGHERT.

the switch and 

